Segmental multiunit study table

ABSTRACT

A SEGMENTAL STUDY TABLE ACCOMODATING A NUMBER OF STUDENTS ABOUT A CENTRAL NUCLEUS TABLE IS PROVIDED BY A HEXAGONAL TABLE HAVING THREE LONG SIDES OF EQUAL LENGTH SPACED BY THREE SHORT EQUAL LENGTH SIDES, THE LONG SIDES BEING ENGAGED BY WING TABLES PRESENTING SIDES EQUALLING THE LENGTH OF SAID LONG SIDES AND MATING THEREWITH AND FORMING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL OBTUSE ANGLES WITH THE NUCLEUS TABLE SHORT SIDES SO AS TO POVIDE BETWEEN THE WING TABLES EQUAL SPACE AREAS ENLARGING PROGRESSIVELY OUTWARDLY FROM EACH SHORT SIDE OF THE NUCLEUS TABLE.

June 26, 1 973 KEENER 3,741,852

SEGMENTAL MULTIUNI'I STUDY TABLE Filed June 3, 1971 INVENTOR Richard N.Keener FIG 4 BY W,JZt0m haw 9 ATTORNEYS United States Patent GflicePatented June 26, 1973 3,741,852 SEGMENTAL MULTIUNIT STUDY TABLE RichardN. Keener, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating Company,Grand Rapids, Mich. Filed June 3, 1971, Ser. No. 149,704 Int. Cl. B32b3/10; A47b 87/00 US. Cl. 161-37 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Asegmental study table accommodating a number of students about a centralnucleus table is provided by a hexagonal table having three long sidesof equal length spaced by three short equal length sides, the long sidesbeing engaged by wing tables presenting sides equaling the length ofsaid long sides and mating therewith and forming substantially equalobtuse angles with the nucleus table short sides so as to providebetween the wing tables equal space areas enlarging progressivelyoutwardly from each short side of the nucleus table.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY It is advantageous to be able to group studytables about a central nucleus table carrying supplies, instruments,etc. for common use, while also providing spaced individual writing andstudy areas. I have discovered that a central or nucleus table may beformed in such a way as to provide with wing tables spaced study areaswhile giving each student direct access to the nucleus table. Further,the grouping of study areas may be widely varied by use of wing oradjunct tables'or desks of different sizes and shapes. Also, the freejoining of the tables permits ready disassembly and reassembly withdifferent table groupings.

DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic viewshowing a group of tables, each with a common unit of measure whichenables them to be joined into an integrated multiunit table structure;FIG. 2, a plan view of a table grouping showing a table having threesides equal to the common unit of measurement and combined therewithstudent tables or desks forming a segmental table; FIG. 3, a plan viewof a similar table grouping using three square tables; and FIG. 4, aplan view of still another table grouping showing three half-roundtables, each having a diameter or side equal to the length of the longside of the central or nucleus table.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In general, the segmental multiunit table isprovided by utilizing wing tables abutting elongated sides of a nucleustable whereby the short sides of the nucleus table insure a spacing ofequal dimensions between the wing tables and which enlargesprogressively outwardly from the short sides of the nucleus table toprovide room for the students alongside the wing tables. The wing tablesmay consist of a variety of shapes as long as they provide a side matingwith the long side of the nucleus table and provide obtuse angles withrespect to the short sides of the nucleus table so as to provide theenlarged space areas between the wing tables.

In the drawings, I have not shown table legs or bases for supporting thetable tops because such structure forms no part of the invention, andfurthermore the top structures illustrated may be employed without suchsupports or may be utilized with any suitable support means. If desired,the support for the wing structures may be desks, drawer-equipped cases,table legs, or any suitable support means.

The wing tables may be secured to the nucleus table by clamps orfastening means of any desired type, but I prefer to have merely a freeabutting relation between the wing tables and the nucleus table so thatany one of the wing tables may be removed or, if desired, all of thewing tables of one type may be removed and wing tables of a differenttype substituted. It is found that by bringing the long sides of thewing table into engagement with the long sides of the nucleus table, theweight of the structures gives a unified usable connection anddisarrangement of the assembled structure is prevented by the long lineof contact between the wing table and the nucleus table.

With the structure shown, a wide space area between the wing tables isautomatically formed for accommodating students in side-by-sideposition, while at the same time every student has direct access to thecentral or nucleus table on which supplies and instruments or devicesfor common use by the students are presented.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a common unit ofmeasurement to be used as the determining factor in the joining of thevarious table shapes into desired groupings. 11 and 12 designate twosmall tables or desks which together achieve the common unit of measure10 so that the combined widths 13 equal the measure unit 10. The squaretable 14, as shown in FIG. 1, has four sides equal to the common unit ofmeasure. However, two of the sides 15 may be either shorter or longer sothat the resulting table 14 may be rectangular rather than square.

Referring again to FIG. 1, there is shown a table top having ahalf-round side 16, the table top itself being designated by the numeral17, and the diameter or straight side is indicated by the numeral 18.

The central or nucleus table 19 is a hexagonal table with three longsides 20 equal to the desired common unit of measure 10 and three shortsides 21 which separate the three long sides so that a wide space areais provided between the wing tables or adjunct tables so that studentsmay work side-byside at adjacent tables, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

In the illustrated arrangements shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the smallunits 11 and 12 present composite sides equal to the length of the longside 20 0f the nucleus table 19 and provides an obtuse angle withrespect to the short sides 21 so that the desired enlarging space areais provided between the nucleus table 19 and the wing tables 11 and 12.Similarly, in FIG. 3, the square tables 14, which as indicated above maybe rectangular, if desired, are arranged with sides abutting the longsides 20 of table 19, and here also the tables form an obtuse angle withthe short sides 21.

In FIG. 4, the relationship between the wing tables 17 and 19 is thesame as described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3 with substantially equalobtuse angles being formed with the short sides 21 and thus providing anenlarging space area progressively away from the narrow sides 21. Itwill be understood that the wing tables 11 and 12 as a unit and wingtables 14 and 17 may be interchanged as desired while producing the sameimportant result that each student has direct access to the centralsupply-carrying table 19 while at the same time having his ownindividual study unit.

It will be further understood that upon the type of unit shown in FIGS.2-4, various other combinations may be made as by adding the units 17 tothe outer side of wing table 14, adding the twin units 11 and 12 to theouter side of table 14, and a variety of other groupings as they may bedesired. I prefer, however, to employ the unit structures wherein thereis combined with the nucleus table 19 various wing tables abutting thelong sides of table 19 in abutting stabilized relation and wherein thereis provided a progressively enlarging space area between the wing tablesso that each student has the desired direct access to the central supplytable 19 while at the same time having an individual study unit.

While in the foregoing specification I have set out specific structuresin considerable detail [for the purpose of illustrating embodiments ofthe invention, it will be understood that such details may be variedwidely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

I claim:

1. A segmental activity table for students, comprising a central nucleustable having three relatively long sides of equal length spaced apart bythree relatively short sides of equal length, a plurality of wing tableseach presenting a side equal in length to the long sides of said nucleustable and in free abutting relationship and mating with said long sidesof said nucleus table to form substantially equal obtuse angles withsaid short sides thereof, whereby said nucleus table is bounded bylaterally-extending wing tables separated by substantially equal spacedareas enlarging outwardly from each short side of said nucleus table,said wing tables each being independently unattachably removable fromsaid nucleus table.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of said wing tablesis rectilinear in plan view.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of said wing tablesis semi-round in plan view.

4. A segmental activity table for students, comprising a central nucleustable having three relatively long sides of equal length spaced apart bythree relatively short sides of equal length, a plurality of wingtables, one for each of said long sides of said nucleus table, at leastone of said wing tables comprising a pair of rectilinear tables havingfirst sides having a composite length equal to the length of said longside and in free abutting relationship and mating with said associatedlong side of said nucleus table, the remaining wing tables eachpresenting a side equal in length to the long side of said nucleus tableand in free abutting relationship and mating with their associated longsides of said nucleus table, said wing tables forming substantiallyequal obtuse angles with said short sides of said nucleus table, wherebysaid nucleus table is bounded by laterally-extending wing tablesseparated by substantially equal space areas enlarging outwardly fromeach short side of said nucleus table, said wing tables each beingindependently unattachably removable from said nucleus table.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,342,147 9/ 1967 Shettles 108-64PHILIP DIER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

